Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep (The Promise)
by Husband of Lyanne
Summary: Abandoning his role as a superhero, Cole MacGrath and Zeke Dunbar leave Empire City and enter the town called Radiant Garden. There, Cole meets a woman named Aqua, aiding her in her quest to find Terra and Ventus, also developing a close bond with her.


Cole MacGrath, a college dropout who got a job as a book corrier...mostly just to anger his parents. He was someone you would never notice, one of those guys delivering packages to others he would never know. But one day, a package found him. Turns out that the package was a bomb, detonating, in his hands and destroying half of the city. Thousands died...five square blocks, smashed into rubble. But at the center...he was there. Alive...but changed. Yet no one could've seen what was coming. 14 days later, his world Empire City was in quarantine, it became living nightmare. Other beings with powers began to show up and it was Cole's job to sort through it all. His job: find out who had given him the package and why? Even his best friend, Zeke Dunbar turned his back on Cole, just to try and obtain powers of his very own. But in the end,Cole found the one responsible. An old man named Kessler. He explained everything, through a vision of the future. In his world, everything was lost...his people and his own family. All thanks to a monster with infamous power. And it was coming...in Cole's timeline...the Beast was coming. A monster that only Cole could defeat, provided if he was strong and ready to face it. Months have gone by and Cole gets a visit...a woman named Lucy Kuo. She somehow knew all about the Beast. In fact, she had come to help hi. Prepare. Explained that a friend of hers named doctor Wolfe had created a Ray Sphere prototype and that it could amplify Cole's powers. All he had to do was go with Kuo to a place called. New Marais. Cole needed those powers. The Beast is coming...and he'll have to be ready.

At the pier of Empire City, Cole stood by the side of the ship, awaiting for a signal that the Beast had arrived. Just then, someone comes up too him. He was wearing his hair swept backwards, and sunglasses with a black frame. He wore a bowling shirt that he used in Empire City, a shoulder holster for his revolver, and a white undershirt with a flaming pair of dice as its design paired with a black meshed shirt on top of it. He wore considerably lengthier shorts than normal, and sneakers. He also had several bandages all over his body, and a tattoo of a woman wearing only her underwear on his right forearm. He also had a small scar on his left cheek. It was Zeke. "Man, I tell you, Cole, that Agent Kuo? She doesn't mess around, huh. First boat outta town? Chick's got some connections." Zeke explained, standing, beside Cole. "This is gonna be a short term visit, man. We're just gonna get it, I'm gonna get some new powers, and then we're gonna come right back." Cole explained, walking away. "Come on, man! You deserve to relax! We're going to New Marais." Zeke said. "Hey, I need to be back here and ready when it shows up, Zeke." Cole stated. "Trust me, Cole, you will be ready when you're done working with Dr. Wolfe." a woman explained, walking towards them. She had a formally-kept hair, a black suit and shoes with a white undershirt. "Work? Ha! Easy, Kuo. When we get there, we're gonna be about the "Three Bs." Zeke explained.

"Gentlemen, I don't think that you understand the scope of what is going on here." Kuo explained. Surprisingly it didn't take long for the Beast to show his face. There was a massive explosion at the docks of Empire City and it was the right time for Cole to take action. He jumped off the boat and ran to the gates. "Uh. MacGrath, we had a deal. This boat is leaving." Kuo said, calling, on his phone. "Relax, I got time for this." Cole claimed. He blasted the gates opened and charged to the bridge. He saw the Beast and shot his Megawatt hammers at him. "Yep! Right here, man!" Cole said, getting his attention. The Beast threw a giant statue near Cole and destroyed half of the bridge. "Cole! Get up, man!" Zeke said, calling his phone. Cole struggled to get back on his feet. Feeling something behind him, he looked at saw the unbelievable. A gigantic humanoid made out of molten lava and rocks, with fire pulsing through his system, and its eyes appearing inflamed. "The Beast." Cole said, in shock. With no hesitation, Cole began shooting Megawatt Hammers at it, trying to destroy it. "Kessler told me about you! I'm not going to let it happen!" Cole shouted out, as he continued shooting megawatt hammers. The Beast grew tired of it and destroyed the bridge, sending Cole flying. But Cole used his Static Thrusters and began flying in the air, shooting at the Beast. The battle kept going on until Cole eventually blew half of the Beast's face off.

He landed back on the ground and summoned an Ionic Storm. The damage was so powerful that it blew off both half of the Beast's face and head off, sinking into the water. "Hey, good shot, man! Now get back to the boat. The pier's breaking up!" Zeke said, calling his phone. Cole made a dash back to Zeke and Kuo, managing the return in one peace. He jumped off but was suddenly stuck in mid air. From behind, a giant hand grabbed him. The Beast was still alive and ready for more. "Come on, come on!" Cole shouted, shooting megawatt hammers again. When the Beast's hands began to loosen up, Cole summoned another Ionic Storm. But even his body grew weak, Cole screamed, as he was damaging the Beast. He blew up, the Beast released it's grip on Cole and they fell into the water. All Cole could hear was Zeke screaming out his name. The Beast had drained him, broken his powers. To Cole...it felt like the end. Luckily, that wasn't the case. Cole wakes up, he was in a hospital bed. Zeke was beside him. The news was on, the Beast was completely healed from Cole's attacks. And now Cole's precious Empire City...was lost. The ship ran for it, fleeing south to New Marais. It was all too much for Cole to handle. He failed...failed at protecting his home and the people he protected. He lost his family, his friends and even the love of his life...it was too much. With nothing left to live for, he decided to move...leave and find a new home for himself.

He changed from his infirmary clothing and found himself new clothing. He put on a plain white T-Shirt, black pants with a stripe on the left pant leg and black parkour shoes. He grabbed his bag and left his room. He meets up with Zeke, explains that he's going to abandon his job and hopefully look for a new home. Zeke offers to go with but Cole decides against it. Zeke explained that wherever Cole went, he wouldn't be too far behind. With arguing anymore, Cole and Zeke abandon the boat and take off, looking for a new home. "So, got anyplace in mind you wanna be?" Zeke asked. "No but I'll know, when I see it." Cole said. They continued there trip. They traveled for at least for five days. It seemed like they would never find a place,they began to grow tired and restless. "Hold on, man. I...I gotta rest." Zeke said. Cole looked back at him and smirked a little. "You should've known that we'd be walking like this...you should've stayed back on the boat." Cole explained. "What? And think about you getting into trouble?" Zeke asked, sarcasticlly. Cole rolled his eyes and began walking up a hill. When he got to the top, he saw a town. "Good news, Zeke, we won't have to walk anymore." Cole called out to him. Zeke caught his breathe and took off, walking up to the hill. "Thank the good lord, I could go for something nice and cold." Zeke said, walking down the hill. They finally made it down the hill and into the city. "Whew, look at this place...shining brighter than you, man." Zeke said, examining the town. "Let's just look around for a place to stay." Cole said, walking off.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" said a voice. When Cole and Zeke turned around, they saw an elderly man with pale skin and thin arms and legs. His nose was a bit large and his black eyes are rather small and close-set. He wore spectacles with circular lenses. He seemed to be balding and had short, white hair on the sides and back of his head. He also had bushy eyebrows, a walrus mustache, and a long, floor-length beard, all of which are white. He dressed in a sky blue cloak that stops just above his ankles and had large, hanging sleeves. He wore pointed slippers and a tall, floppy, conical hat, both of which are the same sky blue color as his cloak. His wand was a very long, featureless, brown rod with a small bump on one end. "Two misfits, on a quest, eh?" the man said. "Who're you?" Cole asked. "I am Merlin, a very powerful wizard." the man said, introducing himself. "And who might you two be?" he asked. "Cole MacGrath." Cole introduced himself. "Zeke Dunbar is my name." Zeke added. "Pleasure to meet you boys...I take it you've come from a world beyond imagination." Merlin claimed. "Something like that." Cole said. "And were pretty worn out." Zeke added. "Why don't you come in, you could use a good rest, if I'm mistaken." Merlin said. "I'd sure love to take a breather." Zeke said, walking into the house. Cole didn't say a word but followed in.

Inside Merlin's house, there was books scattered everywhere...seemed like the man really loved to read. Cole and Zeke took a seat, as Merlin offered them a cup of tea. "Thanks, Merlin." Zeke said, taking a sip. "Well, it seems you two have been through hard times, a struggle, if I may call it that." Merlin claimed. "You have no idea, we've just been trying to find a place to settle down...start over." Cole explained. "Well, you are more than welcome to stay here, as long as you like." Merlin said. "Thanks, Merlin." Cole said, putting down is cup of tea. "Listen, Zeke. I'm gonna take off and get to know this place a little better, I'll be back soon." Cole said, walking out the door. "I take it you two are very close." Merlin said to Zeke. "You know it, we've been though a lot...but we've had some troubles." Zeke responded. Cole began walking around the entrance of the city. There his eyes caught someone...a woman. She had a tall and slender figure, quite thin and a few inches short. She had blue eyes and medium-length blue hair, mostly parted to her left. She wore a black and navy blue, high-collared halter top, a black corset with two pairs of white laces and black shorts. She had two pink straps intersecting over her chest, with a silver badge. On her arms were white bell-sleeves and tan, fingerless gloves.

She also wore a small, segmented piece of armor on each of her upper arms. She had black stockings reaching about halfway up her thighs, leaving a small area of bare skin. There were two strips of blue cloth draped over each of her hips, along with a smaller, white strip of cloth tied around her waist and draped in the same manner. Her silver boots were pointed and armored, with a sharp "hook" on the outer side of each. "Excuse me." she shouted, running towards a duck with...a can?! He had thick, half-ring of ruffled feathers going around the back of his head, creating the image of an old, balding man. It appeared that his wealth allowed him to dress in fine, stereotypically "rich" clothing. He wore a blue jacket with a folded-down, red collar, red cuffs, and a yellow button near the neck. He kept the jacket shut with a red belt. A black top hat with a red band near the brim sits on his head, and he wore pince-nez glasses. He also had red spats on his feet. Completing his image as an old, rich man, He walks around with a brown cane with a gold tip. "I'm terribly sorry to bother you, sit." the woman said. "Ach, what a well-mannered lass ye are. I'd be pleased as punch to help ye, if I can." the duck stated. "I'm looking for a boy who's not from around here. Have you seen him?" the woman asked. "A boy...who's not from around the town...could she have be talking about Cole...or Zeke? Cole wasn't sure what was going on, so he listened carefully.

"Hmm, I think I know just you're talking about. He scampered off toward yon castle in a right hurry." the duck explained. "Thank you so much." the woman said. The duck simply smiled and walked away. "Terra, I hope you're still there." the woman said to herself. "Terra..." So the boy she was looking for wasn't Cole or Zeke but somebody named Terra. Something felt strange about this girl so Cole walked over to her. "Hey, you!" Cole shouted out. The girl turned around and saw Cole walking towards her. "Something wrong!" Cole asked. "No...well, actually, I'm looking for someone. He's a friend of mine." the girl explained. "Well, if you want, I can help you out." Cole offered. "Thank you, I'd appreciate that. Oh, my name is Aqua." the girl said, introducing herself. "I'm Cole, Cole MacGrath." Cole said, introducing himself. "So, let's get going." he said, as they took off. They made there way through the town and to the castle. "This girl...she's not normal." Cole thought to himself. "But, she is kinda hot..." he continued to think, examine her. Just then, they were attacked by strange looking creatures. "What the...?!" Cole shouted out. "Stand back." Aqua shouted out. The pulled out a strange looking sword and charged in. Eliminating them all. "I was right about the not normal part..." Cole said to himself. However, they continued to press on. The more they continued on, the more of those monsters they ran into. Due to the Beast draining Cole of his powers, he wasn't strong enough to fight back.

"A woman who can fight and look good, while doing it?! Yeah, I'm gonna enjoy being around her." Cole thought to himself, smirking a little. They made it to the castle, going up the stairs. They eventually came across a little girl being chased by the same monsters that attacked them. She ran to there side, as she held onto Aqua's weapon. "I can feel the light." Aqua thought to herself, as she stood ready. "With this kid here, there's no way we'll be able to defend ourselves. One of them jumped at them but they were saved by a,,,a mouse?! His clothes were colored in greyscale, losing all the colors it had, save for black, white, and grey. "Hurry! Ya gotta get that girl to someplace that's safe." the mouse explained. "Who are you? Why do you have a Keyblade?" Aqua asked. "I'll tell ya later. Right now, we gotta stop these things!" the mouse explained. With that, Aqua grabbed the little girl and took off. As for Cole, he stayed behind to help out. "Your not leaving?" the mouse asked Cole. "No I am not, I'm helping out." Cole said. "I may not have a weapon...I maybe weak but I can still fight." he thought to himself. Just as he and the mouse were about to charge in, Aqua came back. "You get the girl someplace safe?" Cole asked. Aqua nodded, and the three of them charged in the fight. Cole began shooting electricity from his hands, stunning the monsters, while Aqua and the mouse attacked. He also threw grenades blowing the enemies back.

The three were a great team and eliminated all the monsters. They all regrouped, even the little girl. "Thank you. My name is Aqua. I train under Master Eraqus." Aqua explained, introducing herself. "And my name is Cole MacGrath." Cole added his introduction. "And I'm Mickey. I use to be Yen Sid's apprentice. I came back to him for some more training." the mouse explained, with his introduction. "So uh...about this girl, she must be a pretty big deal for those things to come and attack her." Cole stated. "Yep, I think you might be absolutely right. If you ask me she must be someone pretty extraordinary." Mickey explained. "Yes. I'm quite certain she's someone we're suppose to protect." Aqua claimed. "Let's join forces." Mickey said, holding out his hand. Out of nowhere, his pockets began to glow. "Oh no, not now!" Mickey shouted. "What in the...!" Cole shouted out, becoming blind from the bright light. "I'll be okay. See you real soon!" Mickey shouted out, flying off into the sky. Cole, Aqua and the little girl just stared at him, as he took off. "This world just gets weirder and weirder, by the minute." Cole said to himself. "Here." the little girl said, handing them some flowers. "Are these for me?" Aqua asked. "I picked you some flowers. Thank you for saving me." the little girl said, smiling. Aqua took the flowers and examined them. "Oh, they're lovely. You're so sweet." Aqua said, smiling at the girl. She smiled and turned her attention to Cole.

"I saw what you did to those monsters." the little girl said. "Huh?" Cole asked, confused. "The way you made those colors come from your hands." the little girl explained. "Oh, well, it was nothing really, just doing what I can." Cole said. "Yes but you still help us,mew couldn't have done it without you." Aqua claimed. "Well, I guess." Cole said. "My name's Kairi. Nice to meet you!" The little said. "Cole MacGrath." Cole simply said. "Nice to meet you too. I'm Aqua." Aqua added. "Kairi!" a voice shouted out. From the distance it was a small, elderly woman with thick, grey hair tied into a bun. She had blue eyes like Kairi. She wore a sleeveless, purple dress with a white apron over it. She also had a dark cloth tied around her neck and a white ring on her left ring finger. "Oh! Grandma!" Kairi said. "Wait. Kairi, just a minute..." Aqua said. She lightly tapped on Kairi's necklace and a little light shined. "I just casted a magic spell on you. One day when you're in trouble, the light within you will lead you to the light of another. Someone to keep you safe." Aqua explained. "Thanks." Kairi said, as she ran to her grandma. "Your seriously weird, you know that?" Cole said, folding his arms, staring at her. "Is that bad?" Aqua asked. "That's the problem...I don't know." They waved goodbye to Kairi and took off. As they were continuing there quest of Terra, there eyes caught something.

It was a flying object! "Unversed! It never ends." Aqua complained. "Well, it's our civic duty to go after it and destroy it." Cole explained, taking off. "Cole! Wait." Aqua said, chasing after him. They chased the Unversed all the way to the court yard. They saw a broken down gate and followed through it. When they made it to the end, they saw a man, standing there. A tall young man with brown hair that reaches to the base of his neck in the back and is styled into rather messy, vertical spikes and bangs that frame his face. He had blue eyes and slightly tanned skin. Like Aqua, he was wearing two intersecting straps over his chest, though his red ones are rather different, dropping much lower down and almost resembling criss-crossed suspenders. Also unlike Aqua, he did not wear his badge (which is gold as opposed to the others' silver) on these straps. Instead, he had it on his belt. He wore a skintight, black, high-collared shirt, showing that he is rather muscular. His pants bear a distinct feudal Japanese style; his belt is tied like an obi-sash and he wore hakama. His hakama are dark grey near the top, with several loops for his belt and two buttons, both of which are undone. The rest of the pants were tan with a small, lighter stripe of tan on the bottom hem. He wore a plain black wristband on his right arm, while his left arm is significantly more armored.

Just like Aqua, he wears armor on one arm, with his bearing similarities to both of his companions. His armor shares the large, ornate crest (colored gold) with Aqua, though his is much longer, reaching all the way to the bottom of his hand. He also wears a black, fingerless glove on his hand and what appears to be a black gauntlet on his forearm, over the segmented armor, which also has small pieces of dark red armor on it. Finally, his armored boots are dark brown and gold. But on the right side of them, there was a boy running in there direction. He was wearing a jacket that resembles a reminiscent of the Yin and Yang symbol. The collar of the jacket is red and pleated. Underneath this, he had what appeared to be a grey vest with a single button and several white, angular patterns on it. He wore a third layer under this, in the form of a plain, high-necked, black shirt. He also has a chunk of dull green and grey armor on his midsection that appears to be under his vest, and another piece of armor on his left shoulder. His pants were like a balloon outward slightly before closing up about halfway down his legs, similar These pants are colored in shades of grey, black, and white. He also had an ornate, dull green and grey piece of armor on his upper-left arm, along with a black and white checkered wristband. Like Aqua, he also had two criss-crossing straps on his chest, on which he wears a silver emblem. His boots are rather odd when compared to Aqua's and the man's, as they resemble an armored version of normal street shoes in shades of dull green and grey.

"Ven?!" Both Aqua and the man shouted, now known as Terra. "Terra! Aqua!" Ventus shouted out. The three of them stood together, pulling out there weapons. "So...this is Terra. And who's the other kid?" Cole thought to himself. He then stood ready to fight. The four of them changed in and began attack a giant metal monster divided into arms, legs and a torso. Considering Cole wasn't all that strong, he couldn't handle himself. He was knocked out and slammed against the wall. He struggled to get up but he was too weak. A few minutes later, when he began opening his eyes, the battle was over and the boy Ventus was running off. Cole struggled to get back on his feet. Aqua heard his struggles and rushed towards him. "Are you okay?" Aqua asked, helping him up." "Honestly...no." Cole said, groaning. "Wait, wheres Terra and Ven?" Cole asked. Aqua looked down and didn't say a word. "Did..._something_ happen?" Cole asked. "I..." Aqua said, seeming upset. "You know what...I know something that'll cheer you up." Cole claimed. "Huh?" Aqua said, confused. "Just follow me." Cole said, trying to walk. At there destination, Cole and Aqua were chewing on some ice cream. "What do you think?" Cole asked. "It's amazing. It tastes amazing." Aqua said. "Great! Listen, when you're done with it, how about we head to the castle and..." Cole suggested, being cut off. "I'm sorry, Cole, but I have to continue on quest." Aqua explained. "Oh, right..." Cole said, upset. Aqua began to walk away, not knowing what to say. "Wait!" Cole shouted out. She turned around and quickly grabbed an object, in her hand. "Just a keepsake...you know, a promise that we'll see each other again." Cole said. Aqua looked at the keepsake, blushing at him and began walking off.

**THE END!**


End file.
